Reminiscence - Born in the 1950’s, 1960’s or Early 1970’s in Malaysia

This reminiscence is dedicated to all those who were Born in the 1950’s, 1960’s or early 1970’s Children, whom are Malaysian Adults now.

I would like to share some light moments with you on what we went through and what we experienced during the years of growing up as children in the 1950’s, 1960’s or early 1970’s in Malaysia. It is also an article to compare the journey of grwing up for the older generation versus the current younger generation born in the year 2000’s.

First, we survived with mothers who had no maids. They cooked or cleaned while taking care of us at the same time.

They took aspirin, candies floss, fizzy drinks, shaved ice with syrups and diabetes were rare. Salt added to Pepsi or Coke was remedy for fever.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention. As children, we would ride with our parents on bicycles or motorcycles for 2 or 3 children at a time. Richer ones in cars with no seat belts or air bags.

Riding in the back of a private taxi was a special treat.

We drank water from the tap and NOT from a bottle.

We would spend hours on the fields under bright sunlight flying our kites, without worrying about the UV ray which never seem to affect us.

We go to jungle to catch spiders without worries of Aedes mosquitoes.

With mere 5 pebbles (stones) would be a endless game. With a ball (tennis ball best) we boys would ran like crazy for hours.

We catch guppy fish in drains or canals and when it rains, we swim there.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually worry about being unhygenic.

We ate salty, very sweet and oily food, candies, bread and real butter and drank very sweet soft sweet coffee or tea, ice karang, but we weren ‘ t overweight because ….. WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, till streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day (no mobile phones). And we were O.K.

We would spend hours repairing our old bicycles and wooden scooters out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo’s, X-boxes, multiple channels on cable TV like Astro, DVD movies, no surround sound, no phones, no personal computers, no Internet.

WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and we still continued the stunts.

We were never birthdays parties till we are 21.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend’s house and just yelled for them!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

Yet this generation has produced some of the best Risk-Takers, Problem Solvers and Inventors ever!

The past 40years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!

And YOU are one of them!

CONGRATULATIONS!

You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the government regulated our lives for our own good and while you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave their parents were.

PS -The big type is because Long-sightedness or hyperopia at our age.